Eleusinian Mysteries

Initiation rituals belonging to the cult of Demeter and Persephone that were celebrated annually at the sacred sanctuary of Eleusis. The rites and their teachings were secret, and the penalty for divulging them was death. We know only the general outlines of the main theme, involving Persephone’s abduction by Hades, the ruler of the Underworld, and her eventual return to the realm of the living. The cycle of Persephone’s loss and restoration had three phases, described at times as katabasis (descent), search, and anabasis (ascent)—see the Wikipedia entry for the Eleusinian Mysteries. There is likely more going on in the middle part than a mere “search or quest,” given that it is the principal section of the ritual, meaning the stage where everything important happens. See Initiation for additional details.

Further reading:

Poulkouras, Iordanis. “The Eleusinian Mysteries.” Translated by Sasha Chaitow. Paper presented at the 7th Esoteric Quest Conference on the Mysteries and Philosophies of Antiquity, Samothrace, September 2008. https://www.academia.edu/22815919/The_Eleusinian_Mysteries.